Lewistown Medicaid payments for ambulance and transport services reach $667,476 in 2024

Lewistown’s Medicaid providers submitted $667,476 in 2024 claims for services categorized under Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. This amount represents a 47.4% rise from 2023, when $452,955 in claims were made for similar services.

Medicaid, a public health insurance initiative administered by states and jointly financed by federal and state governments, offers coverage to low-income individuals, seniors, children, and those with disabilities, making it a significant segment of the U.S. health care network.

Since Medicaid is funded by taxpayers, shifts in local billing reflect how health care dollars are directed within a community.

The “Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies” designation encompasses a set of Medicaid-billed services identified by standardized HCPCS and CPT code groupings. This analysis assigns each billing code to one service category based on code prefixes and numeric ranges, ensuring similar services are grouped while avoiding duplicate counting and maintaining reliable rankings year over year.

Medicaid spending went up across various service types; in 2024, Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies ranked fifth in Lewistown for total Medicaid payments.

Statewide in Pennsylvania, Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies placed sixth overall in total payments for 2024.

In the five years leading up to 2024, Lewistown’s Medicaid payments for Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies rose by $626,244, marking an increase of 1,518.8%. This spending accelerated notably in certain years, with sharp climbs seen in 2020 and 2021 comparisons.

Although spending in this category was noted citywide, most Medicaid dollars were tied to a few ZIP codes. Amassing $667,475, ZIP code 17044 accounted for 100% of Lewistown’s Medicaid payments connected to the Ambulance and Other Transport Services and Supplies category in 2024.

Within this service area, Medicaid claims were focused around a small set of billing codes.

For reference, from 2023 to 2024, Lewistown’s Medicaid payments for ambulance and transport services climbed 47.4%. By comparison, all Medicaid claim categories in the city saw a 9.1% change during the same span.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, combined federal and state Medicaid expenditures hit about $871.7 billion during fiscal year 2023, accounting for nearly 18% of national health spending—up significantly from approximately $613.5 billion in 2019, before COVID-19.

This marks a rise of roughly 40% in a few years, largely due to expanded program enrollment and higher usage related to the pandemic effects and recovery.

Recent federal budget changes implemented under the Trump administration have included measures to lower federal Medicaid contributions and modify its structure. The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” signed in 2025, is forecast to reduce federal Medicaid spending by more than $1 trillion over the next decade and touts provisions like work requirements and increased cost-sharing, which could reduce program coverage and shift more financial responsibility to states.

Note: HCPCS codes are shown for context within the category. Category totals and rankings in this article are based on standardized service groupings rather than individual billing codes.

Information in this article was obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicaid Provider Spending database. The source data can be found here.